Improvement in corset-clasps



A... OTTENHEIMER.

CORSET-CLASP.

%M&O 9

N.PETERS. PNOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHMGTDN, D10

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT OTTENHEIMER, OF STUTTGART, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO OTTENHEIMER BROTHERS, OF NEW YORK CITY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORSET-CLASPS Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 18 1,970, dated September 5, 1876; application filed July 17, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT OTTENHEIMER, of Stuttgart, in the Empire of Germany, have invented an Improvement in Corset-Clasps, of which the following is a specification:

Corsets have usually been made with two front steels or busks, united by eyes on one, that are hooked over studs upon the other, but these are liable to break, because one does not aid in sustaining the other. In some instances the busks have been placed one upon the other, the outer one being narrow, and secured to the back-husk by hooks and eyes, or studs.

My invention is made for connecting two busks or steels of nearly uniform width together at the front, and holding one of them directly outside of and upon the other, so that they will support each other, and at the same time be free to bend under the strain to which they may be subjected, and the two busks can be easily connected or disconnected.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation of the two steels or busks separate from the corset, the position of a portion of the fabric of the corset to the steels being shown by dotted lines. Fig.2 is avertical sectional view, showing the steels placed together to connect the halves of the corset at the front.

The bus]: or steel (1 (preferably upon the right half of the corset) has a mortise at b, and the fabric of the corset is slotted to correspond. It also has a tongue, d, projecting down at the lower end, and the back part of the pocket, containing the busk, terminates at the shoulder c,-so that the fabric can be attached at these points. The busk or steel 0 (preferably attached to the left half of the corset) is made with a hook at f, and a metal pocket at g. This pocket- 9 is of a size and shape to receive the lower end or tonguezd of the busk a,and the pocket is of sheet metal, and firmly attached to the busk e, and there is a lip, i, thatis used to protect the edge of the corset-fabric.

The tongue (1 is entered into pocket 9, and the hook f passed through the mortiseb from behind, and, as the tongue dis pressed down into its pocket and held thereby, the hook catches and holds the busks together at the upper part. By this means the corset can be easily fastened or unfastened; and the steels lie one upon the other, and are free to spring and bend with the person.

The hook f may be capable of aquarter-rotation, if desired, so that it cannot become unhooked in use.

The lower end ofthe tongue 01 may be notched, if desired, as seen in Fig. 3; or it may have a notch at the side, as seen in Fig, 4, so as to be hooked around a stud or rivet passing through the pocket. This prevents the tongue drawing out of the pocket when in use.

I am aware that corset-steels have been made to lap one upon the other at the front, and held together by studs or hooks on one passing through holes in the other.

I claim as my invention The busk a, with the tongue 01, and mortise I), in combination with the .busk or spring 0, hook f, and pocket g, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 15th day of June, A. D. 1876.

ALBERT OTTENHEIMER.

Witnesses:

AnoLPu OTTENHEIMER, R. M. J AOKSON. 

